Mail-box.



W. E. GLOVER.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Ammo. 191s.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

awuzwtoc (WW I laver abtomw WILLIAM E. GLOVER, OF SHENANDOAI-IpIOWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH F. MILLER, OF SHENA'NDOAH, IOWA.

MAIL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILLIAM E. GLovEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shenandoah, in the county of Page and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail boxes, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will sound an alarm as soon as the door thereof is opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box with a closure to protect the contents of the same; to arrange spring means within the box which co-acts with the closure to normally swing the same to an open position; to provide a latch member of a simple construction which may be easily and quickly operated to permit of the opening of the box as well as automatically locking the box when the cover is swung to a closed position thereon.

A further object of the invention is to construct a mail box having a bell associated therewith, to provide a tappet or hammer for sounding the bell, to associate with the door a closure and an actuating member for the tappet or hammer so as to sound the bell when the closure is swung to its open position.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail box constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a similar view with the closure opened, Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken directly above the bracket to which the tappet or hammer is pivotally connected, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the angular slotted strap.

The box a is Provided with an open top and a hinged closure 1 for the said top. The closure comprises a flanged member and has a slot in its front portion to receive a locking pin carrier by the box, and the said locking pin is provided with an operating knob 2. The closure 1 is adapted to be swung to an open position when the latch is operated by a spring 3 arranged in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 10, 1915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 44,822.

box to contact with the closure, and one of the sides of the closure has pivotally secured thereto a slotted strap at, the shank of the headed element passing through the slot of the said member a and the member 4 serves as a guide for the closure as well as'means for limiting the outward swinging of the closure from the box, the shank of the member 5 contacting with the end of the slot in the said member 4: when the closure is opened.

The box or, upon its outer face, is preferably provided with a spring clip 7) to receive newspapers or the like, and the slotted strap 12 arranged upon the side of the box provided with the bell 17 is formed with an annular flange 0. The flange c is formed with a longitudinally arranged zig-zag or serpentine-shaped slot d, and the side of the box, outward of the said flange 0 is provided with a bracket 6 to which is loosely pivoted the horizontal arm 7 of a tappet or hammer g, the said hammer being so arranged as to contact with the bell 17 when the door is swung to its open position as well as when the door is swung to its closed position. It will be apparent that the horizontal arm f of-the hammer being received in the serpentine slot 9, the said end of the arm will be gradually swung horizontally in opposite directions until the door or cover is moved to its open position or to its closed position and engaged by the latch.

As the contact of the hammer with the bell will have a tendency of forcing the bell outward of the box, it is necessary that the said bell be permitted a suitable amount of movement in the said outward direction, and therefore I support the bell upon a flat spring member 70 adjacent one of the ends of the said spring, and I secure the spring, adjacent its free end to the side of the box, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereofwill, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a mail box or the like, a hinged closure, spring means for swinging the closure to an open position, a spring latch for retaining the closure in closed position, a pressure member for the latch, slotted straps, headed pin members secured to the sides and passing through the slots of the straps, a bell upon one of the sides of the box, a bracket above the bell, an angular hammer for the bellhaving one of its arms pivotally' secured to the bracket, the slotted strap on this side of theLboX having lan angular flange, and said flange being provided With a zig-zag slot receiving one of the ends of the hammer.

2. In a mail box or the like, a hinged closure, spring means for swinging the closure to an open position, a spring latch for retaining the closure in closed position, a presser member for the latch, slotted straps pivotally secured to the sides of the closure,

headed pin members secured to the sides and passing through the slots of the straps, a bell, a flat spring member supporting the bell and having one of its ends connected to the side of the box, a bracket, an angular b'ell hammer pivotally connected With the bracket, the slotted straps adjacent the bell having one of its edges formed with a flange, and the said flange being provided With a longitudinally disposed zig-zag opening receiving one of the ends of the hammer.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM E. GLOVER.

WVitnesses:

J. F. MILLER, ALBERT LUND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

